190 ROREE. 



Now, however, I shall quit the north-west 

 frontier, and conduct my reader back to Sukkur, 

 Bukkur, and Roree. There was formerly a 

 bridge of boats across the Indus at the latter 

 place, and a proposal for a suspension bridge 

 spanning the river between the towns of Sukkur 

 and Roree has been made to Government at an 

 estimated cost of five lakhs of rupees. It cer- 

 tainly is not likely, in the present exhausted 

 state of the Indian Government Treasury, that 

 so large a sum can be just now spared for tliis 

 purpose, but as the passage is much frequent- 

 ed, lying as it does on the junction of several 

 great roads, it is very necessary that some 

 better means for passing the river than those 

 at present in existence should be at once estab- 

 lished, for much inconvenience is experienced 

 by travellers at all hours of the day, but espe- 

 cially before sunrise and after sunset, when it is 

 impossible to procure a boat for hire. The fact 

 I believe is, that the boatmen earn so much 

 money between sunrise and sunset, that they 

 are indifferent about inconveniencing the public, 

 and, furthermore, they know that all passengers 

 who have occasion to cross must fall to the lot 

 of some of their fraternity. Roree and Sukkur 



